Tag Archives: politics

While visiting family and friends back home, many asked me about the protests in Brazil: if they happened in Maceio too, what I thought would come out of them and, obviously, why they so suddenly happened.

During the protests, I followed my Brazilian friends on FB, posting links, videos, comments and much more. In the end, I’m afraid that the protests won’t change much in the short-term. If only Brazilian politicians learn that their actions will be watched more closely and that the most flagrant abuses of power are more likely to be unveiled, this would already be a lot.

What I found interesting about the protests is, that it wasn’t the poorest of the poorest that took the streets but the young, well educated middle class. Only that middle class has a very far stretched definition in Brazil. The middle class starts with an income as low as 240$ monthly income and reaches up to 1950$ monthly income. (Source)

While people in this middle class are not the absolute poor, many are only a paycheck away from poverty. Especially if you have an apartment to pay, plus the school, plus the health insurance, maybe even a car… In other words, as much as incomes have risen, costs have been fast in catching up too.

And people are tired of their politicians earning indecent monthly allowances and putting money into stadiums and other prestigious projects while the health service and the public education – both of which are free but certainly not used by senators and MPs – have been suffering a decline over the years. Up to an extent whether you almost have to sent your kids to private school and have to have a health insurance; both of which is pricy.

Over the years, Brazil has managed to lift a lot of people out of absolute poverty. These people have understood that what matters most to succeed in life is education and that’s what they get their children; only for these children now to take the streets. As the development continues, it seems there will be more protests to come until Brazilian politicians (re-)discover and respect decency.

Indeed, Belgium is not world record holder in taking the longest time to form a government as wrongly published in this blog and various other newspapers before. At this moment in time (Belgium: 292 days), Cambodia still keeps the record with 353 days (2003-2004). You need to acknowledge however the efforts made by Belgian politicians to win at least this record for their country.

I have been thinking about this fritten revolution called for in Belgium at the celebration of the 249th day waiting for a government. Besides fries, there is obviously one other important Belgian symbol: Beer.

Even as a German, I have no problem admitting that Belgium beer is very good, especially the abbaye ones. And not only this. It even seems that beer initiated most inventions in human kind:

Beer – the origin of agriculture, the wheel, maths & writing. Who would have thought? But coming back to the real issue: Why not to make beer the national symbol, change the name of the country to Beergium and elect a beer king/queen every four years? Once you are drunk enough, language barriers won’t matter. At least this much is for sure.

As of today, Belgium holds officially the world record of the country waiting the longest for government: 249 days.

Without nation-wide TV, newspapers or political parties, it is all but too easy for Flamish and Wallonian politicians to serve only the interests of those whose language they speak. ‘Belgium’ as such is at best a second priority of minor importance. But still, resistance is growing and it choose the one symbol that unites the country: Fries.